bookcover – C.W. Spalding

3 Stunning YA Fantasy Covers

Covers are what draw me to books, for better or for worse. Despite the saying, people really do judge a book by its cover. So why are so many covers bleh? Well, in this article we’re going to look at 3 YA covers that most certainly aren’t bleh.

1. Apolar’s Harry Potter Covers

This book cover from the Thai artist, Apolar, is nothing short of stunning. And all the covers they’ve done for the Harry Potter series are equally as stunning. The face shapes, the story elements, and the use of cover space are all excellently done. If a teen picks up this book they know exactly what type of story they’re in for. And, because this cover is so well designed, if someone picks it up and doesn’t buy it, it’s because either 1. they’ve already heard about the books and didn’t think it was for them or 2. they genuinely aren’t interested in the genre that is presented to them.

With cover there’s no doubt about the content and that’s what a good cover does. A book cover accurately represents the genre it contains.

2. Simon Prades’ Tess of the Road Cover

After poking around his website, it seems that Simon Prades has an excellent understanding of positive and negative space. This German illustrator certainly implemented his talents on Tess of the Road‘s cover as well. The concepts of the book are gently explored without over-cluttering the space given him. This is more of a personal preference but I prefer when a book cover is concise.

3. Jeff Langevin’s Anya and the Dragon Cover

Again, an excellent use of positive and negative space from artist Jeff Langevin for the book Anya and the Dragon. The setting, and glimpses of the plot are visible through the frame of the main character. Similar to the last one, this cover presents information without overwhelming the viewer and there’s no mistaking the genre the reader’s getting. This cover feels clean and makes great use of color.

What’s your favorite book cover and why?

5 YA Fantasy Cover Comparisons

Deseretgear and I recently did a YouTube video, 5 YA Fantasy Cover Comparisons, about book covers we like and don’t like as well as why. Check out the article below to see highlights or go head and click image below to hop on over to YouTube and watch the full video.

Reason 1: What is the Genre?

There’s nothing I hate more than when I pick up a book and I have no idea what genre I’ll be reading. Especially since there are some genres that I don’t like. Some book covers don’t give off any indication at all. I’m more likely to never pick the book up in the first place rather than flip it over and read the blurb. In making things as generic and mass-appealing as possible, the cover loses could-be readers. Specificity may lose the crowd, but it brings in the ones who will cling to content to the bitter end.

Reason 2: The Design is Cluttered

There’s too much going on, or the things that are added don’t add to understanding the story inside. This has to do with purposeful design. If it seems like things were thrown together or if they don’t really have a purpose, then the cover feels bland. The best example of this that we discussed in our video were the covers for the book Shiver. Both covers we looked at were similar and both contained elements pertinent to the story. However, one of them was certainly a tighter and more thoughtful design. Purposeful covers are a testament to the thought that went into the creation process.

Wrapping Things Up

We haven’t judged these books by their covers but we have judged their covers by their covers. Both Des and I know that traditionally published authors have little to no say in the design of their book’s covers and in no way does our review intend to reflect poorly on these books. These are fantastic books that either we’ve read personally or heard good things about. However, doesn’t that make this all the more lamentable? Doesn’t it make it even sadder when a good book deters readers who would love and enjoy the story inside because of industry choices outside the writer’s control?

So, if you’d like to see the full review, check out our YouTube video and subscribe for updates. Also, tell us in the comments below what you think. When have you been disappointed by the cover of a book you know and love?

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